Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is expecting to be working with an identical squad for Saturday's Premier League battle with West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium.
The Citizens ended 2024 with a morale-boosting 2-0 triumph at Leicester City, a game that all of Rodri (ACL), Oscar Bobb (leg), Ruben Dias (muscle), Matheus Nunes (unspecified), John Stones (foot) and Ederson (unspecified) sat out.
Rodri, Bobb and Dias have no chance of coming back for the visit of the Irons, while Nunes, Stones or Ederson are shorter-term absentees but are also unlikely to make their comebacks in gameweek 20.
While Ederson remains uncertain, it is safe to assume that Stefan Ortega will continue in between the posts, likely protected by an unchanged back four.
The holders welcomed Kyle Walker back to the squad at the King Power Stadium following an illness, but the right-back may have to accept another substitute cameo as Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake continue at the back.
Indeed, Guardiola may not be willing to tinker with a winning formula whatsoever, as Man City have a seven-day break in between this game and their FA Cup third-round match with Salford City, where several changes can be expected.
As a result, Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic and Kevin De Bruyne are primed to continue in midfield, while Phil Foden and Savinho work in tandem with Erling Haaland, who bagged a hat-trick against the Irons at the London Stadium earlier this season.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Kovacic; Foden, Silva, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland
> Click here to see how West Ham could line up for this game
Ben Knapton
